


Dragons Before Dawn

by thesometimeswarrior



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Father-Son Relationship, Ficlet, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Post-Series, Uncle-Nephew Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 09:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11803236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: When he wanders into the main room of the Jasmine Dragon at four in the morning, he is surprised to find the room lit and his uncle sitting at one of the tables with his tea set before him. “Well, this brings back memories,” Zuko says.or: some things don't go away, after the War.Zuko, Iroh, and lingering demons.





	Dragons Before Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very loose companion piece to another fic of mine, "Here," although this can certainly read without having read that!
> 
> If you want to read that, it can be found [at this link](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211705).

When he wanders into the main room of the Jasmine Dragon at four in the morning, he is surprised to find the room lit and his uncle sitting at one of the tables with his tea set before him. “Well, this brings back memories,” Zuko says. 

It was a common occurrence, during those three years at sea—Zuko starting awake in the early hours, clutching his scar and wandering above deck for air, to find Uncle sitting there, or else Uncle wandering above deck to find Zuko already sitting there. Neither would speak, but Uncle would produce the tea set and they both would nurse porcelain cups until the dawn.

After, in the Earth Kingdom, they’d done this too, but they were poor then, had slept in close quarters, would sit up and drink tea where they had lain to chase away whatever had woken each of them, and these pre-dawn tea parties felt less like the rendezvous they were in actuality.

This feels like the former, earlier days.

Uncle smiles wearily at him and gestures to the other, empty seat at his table. “Tea?”

Zuko nods before sitting down opposite his uncle, and it dawns on him how glad he is that he turned down the Earth King’s offer of hospitality in the Palace while in Ba Sing Se for diplomatic talks in favor of staying here. Decorum or no decorum, this feels like where he needs to be at this moment.

“You know,” says Zuko grasping his cup once Uncle has poured it. “I thought I was done with this. That I’d made peace with everything that happened to me, and that these nightmares would finally go away. But five years later, I’m still having them.”

“I am not sure they ever go away.” Uncle sips his own tea slowly, seeming to savor it in his mouth before continuing. “Whether one makes peace with what occurred or not. Was it the same dream it has always been?”

“Not exactly. It used to always be the Agni Kai. But tonight, it was the War Meeting when I yelled at the general.”

“Mm.” Uncle looks down at his cup. “I was so proud of you, that day.”

Zuko’s eyebrow flies to his forehead. It's still jarring to hear those words, even after all these years, even from Uncle. But when he thinks of these events in particular, _pride_ is not generally the emotion that comes to mind. “What?”

“I was. I was also terrified, even if I never thought…never imagined that Ozai would…even if I should have known...but somewhere beyond that, I was proud. You stood up for your people, were a true and noble prince, braver and better at age thirteen than I had ever been.”

“ _Braver_ than—what are you _talking_ about?”

“I, too, was horrified by that general's strategy. But I did not say anything. If I had, Ozai might have been angry, but would not have been able to punish me as he punished you, no matter what he might have said. There hardly would have been any consequences at all for me. And yet, I said nothing, was perfectly willing to let our Nation knowingly murder all those sons. Perfectly willing to let all those fathers grieve…”

Uncle stares wistfully into his empty cup, and Zuko knows of what—of _whom_ —he is thinking.

“What woke you up tonight, Uncle,” he says gently. “Was it the same dream as...was it Lu Ten?”

The old man ignores the question, instead says only, “I will be alright in the morning. I always am.”

The teapot is empty, and Uncle reaches for it, but Zuko grabs it first. “I’ll refill it, Uncle. You sit.”

He returns from the kitchen with more hot water, lets it steep, and pours his uncle another cup of tea. Then, he extends his arm across the table to grip the other man’s hand, holds it as they sit quietly together and wait once again for the dawn.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I love comments!


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